Short Version: A full-featured 22-inch HDTV with a built-in DVD player for under $400, the N2201w from ViewSonic is a great option as a bedroom TV, office TV, or dedicated gaming TV.
Overview and Features:
- 22-inch LCD with 1680×1050 resolution
- 1000:1 contrast ratio
- 300 cd/m2 brightness
- 160-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles
- 5ms response time
- Two 3-watt speakers
- Inputs: VGA, coax, RCA, YPbPr/YCbCr, S-video, HDMI 1.3 with HDCP
- Headphone jack
- ATSC, NTSC, QAM tuner
- HD: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i
- Available online for under $400
Pros:
The ViewSonic’s bright and vibrant picture, integrated DVD player, multiple hookup options, and relatively low price point make it a good choice for people looking to add a flat screen TV to the bedroom. Despite the integrated DVD player, the 22-inch N2201w is only about three inches thick and weighs about 20 pounds, so it’s easy to move around if needed. High-definition content looks really good, too, which is hopefully what you’ll mostly be watching on this TV. Standard definition stuff looks just fine as well – I tested this TV using Comcast digital cable, with nice results.
The TV has one of each of the standard connection options (RCA, YPbPr/YCbCr, coax, HDMI 1.3 with HDCP, VGA with audio in) and the integrated tuner pulls down ASTC, NTSC, and QAM signals. The inclusion of a headphone jack makes for a VERY nice feature when hooking your Xbox 360 up to this thing. I have mine hooked up via HDMI and the sound gets cleanly routed through the headphone jack, making late-night gaming and Rock Band/GHWT drumming much, much easier.
Using the VGA input will allow you to use the TV as a 1680×1050 computer monitor, which would make it a great choice for your home office. You could use it for work during the day and then take a break to watch a DVD, play some video games, or see what’s on TV. So the office is where the true 3-in-1 functionality would hit home most.
Finally, the remote control is actually – GASP! – thoughtfully laid out and easy to use.
Cons:
Those who have subscribed to the 1080p-or-die mantra will want to forgo this TV as the highest it’ll do is 1080i. Also, it won’t make for a great main TV if you need to hook a bunch of different components up to it because, as mentioned, it only has one of each port. That’s still plenty of stuff, though, considering your DVD player would be taken care of already. However, the single HDMI port might make life tough for people who wanted to hook up a cable box, Blu-ray player, and Xbox or PS3 via HDMI.
Recommendation:
If you’re looking for a nicely-priced TV for the bedroom or game room that’ll also allow you to watch TVs and will function as a 1680×1050 computer monitor too, the N2201w’s nice picture, low price, and relatively full feature set make it a great choice.
ViewSonic N2201w 3-in-1 LCD HDTV and DVD combo [ViewSonic.com]